Can't trace toilet leak

[robbiejustice]

Hello all,

I have a top floor flat in a 7 flat building constructed in 2007. Toilet is close coupled.

I have had a small water leak in the spare room bathroom for a few weeks. It appeared to be coming from the toilet where you could see a slight bubble of water coming from between the lino floor tiles and some floor warping. Since the dampness dried out somewhat when the toilet was not in use for a week then I assumed it was coming from the toilet.

I have checked the following:
1. I had looked and felt around the toilet to see if I could feel or see any water leakage after I flushed the toilet - inlet valve, connection to cistern and pipe, soil pipe connection and connection between cistern and pan.
2. Took the cistern off and checked around to see if I could see or feel any leakage.
3. Taken the bowl out, put it on some kitchen roll and filled it with water.
4. Poured water into the pan and let flow out into a bucket.

After all that I can't find the source of the leak or see that the toilet is leaking. Have I missed something?

I have lifted the floor tiles out and the floor was pretty sodden but looks like it has dried up since the toilet has been removed.

If not the toilet then I suppose the soil pipe is leaking somewhere downstream that I can't see.

Any ideas or advise would be welcome.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

How old is the toilet?
I have come across instances where there has been a crack in the toilet pan and a leak only came apparent when it was flushed.

 

[robbiejustice]

Hi PBD,

The toilet is 9 years old.

I think I am going to try and hook the cistern up outside and flush it with kitchen roll around the base to see if that reveals anything.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

If you could block/seal the pan spigot watertight, then fill the toilet up to he brim, then that would likely show any evidence of the toilet pan leaking.

 

[robbiejustice]

I'll give that a go. Any ideas on how to seal it? As a test I was going to try a bin bag and some gaffa tape...

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

I have in the passed used a flexie pan connector and raised the open end above the spillage level of the pan, this will also allow for controlled evacuation of the water when needed. But you can purchase 100mm bungs. But anything that will water seal the spigot will be okay.

 

[robbiejustice]

Thanks for your help. I bought a flexi connector and tried your suggestion but still couldn't find a leak although the flexi itself did leak a bit but I guess that is because I had it bent 90 Deg.

Anyway, the leak must be coming from somewhere else, which is going to be a pain to find because it's all behind tiles.

 

[robbiejustice]

The sodden floor is now just damp. It is still drying but it looks like it might take weeks to properly dry.

If I can get it to dry, is it wise to reuse it or would it be best to replace it? The floor has warped a little.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

What type flooring is it? Heat gun/hair dryer could speed drying times up.

 

[robbiejustice]

Lino floor tiles with plywood underneath.

 

[robbiejustice]

Hi I've basically ripped everything out now as the floor was sodden and rotting.

See below for pics.

I want to change the soil pipe. The white soil pipe fits in the grey one through a rubber seal - the leak appeared to be coming from here. I took the white soil pipe out but when I tried to put it back I appeared to have push the seal down the grey soil pipe. Any idea how I replace the seal in the grey soil pipe? Or use an alternative seal?

 

[robbiejustice]

ignore that, solved

 

[AGAS]

is it me or does that soil pipe look like its running up a bit ??????

 

[Agile]

ignore that, solved

Well it may be solved for you.

But the rest of us don't know what the problem was!

 

[Agile]

Where I stayed last weekend there seemed an odd leak in the bathroom which sometimes flooded the floor quite badly overnight.

I tracked it down to the basin waste leaking slightly. Not noticeable in normal use.

But the cold tap has a slightly faulty washer and dripped a little if not firmly closed off. That dripping overnight leaked from the faulty waste onto the floor!